"Hardly!" Diana exclaimed. "I should be thinking about the vacation I so desperately need after this week! But, erm..." And Diana didn't know what had suddenly overcome her. It was if some stranger had overtaken her body.

She swallowed hard and looked at Stephen. "Would you excuse Steve and I for a moment or two?"

"Sure, I've got a class in about forty minutes, so I need to go anyway." Stephen replied.

Everyone said their goodbyes and as the young man was leaving, Steve told him: "I don't know how to thank you for all the help, Stephen. Don't make yourself a stranger. How about giving me a call at the office sometime and I'll leave your name at the desk- show you around and all?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Really? That'd be great!"

Diana laughed for the second time in a couple of days at his enthusiasm. Putting her arms around Stephen's shoulders, she said, "We really couldn't have done it without you, you know. I want you to take care of yourself okay? Maybe well run into each other again someday!"

Stephen grinned and left the room.

"He's a great kid, isn't he?" Diana asked almost to herself. She had been able to talk with him extensively this morning while they were waiting for Steve to wake up and had been impressed by his goals for the future.

She turned to find Steve studying her intently. She felt she needed to avert her eyes to avoid him seeing everything she had yet to say.

"Steve, I wanted to talk to you. See, there is something I've been meaning to tell you..."

Steve nearly jumped out of the bed. Excitingly, he said, "There's something I need to tell you, too!"

Diana's heart raced as she waited for Steve to continue. Could it be the same thing she wanted to say?

"I was going to call you before all this mess happened, but never got the chance. It all happened so quickly- the trip to Tokyo and being there longer than I had planned. You know how things get..."

His rambling wasn't making any sense to her at all. What was he trying to say? In an effort to coax him toward his point, Diana cut in, "Steve, what is it?"

"Diana... I'm, well...I'm engaged to be married!"